A microscope eyepiece, the Flip Mino, and the DIY macro lens I made.

If you've tried to shoot up close and personal with bugs, flowers, and other tiny things, you've probably noticed that they don't film well with a low-end camcorder such as the Flip. But after performing some Frankenstein-like experiments, I figured out a way to make a macro lens for the Flip Mino (also works with other Flip camcorders.) Encouraged by this, i tried shooting with a microscopic eyepiece too, with varying success: Sometimes the focus was off, but some of the detail is startling. Here's what you'll need for both projects.

• a pair of binoculars (get a cheap pair that fits into your pocket with lenses about the size of the Flip Mino's)
• a microscope eyepiece (available at some science supply stores; here's an example)
• a couple rubber bands (one is all you need initially, but have a spare handy, in case it breaks).
• one or two paperclips
• the Flip (I recommend the Mino, because it has the best image and sound quality)

This Friday is the 4th of July, which means lots of fireworks from sea to shining sea. Fireworks are fun to watch and even more fun to photograph--if you know how. Honestly, it's not that difficult to get photos which will amaze your friends.

In fireworks, as in real estate, start by thinking: location, location, location. You want a spot with an unobstructed view, upwind from the show. In other words, if there's any breeze at all, you want it to blow the smoke away from you. Having something identifiable in the shot helps keep the look local. Even better is to shoot from a low position that includes the unlit audience in silhouette. Do that and they'll start mentioning you and Ansel Adams in the same sentence.

Your cell phone's camera might have settings you haven't ever used.

The average person uses a camera phone the same way he uses a point-and-shoot camera: Whip it out, power it up, and take the picture. But the flash may wash out the shot's color; and the ISO may be set at an absurdly high level, making for blocky, noisy images.

Most newer camera phones have a number of settings that you can play with to get a better shot, so try experimenting with them. (Thanks to Geoff Fox for inspiring this post!)

What can't LEGOs do? Seriously, if colleges invested in LEGOs for their physics students, we'd have a working time machine by now! In the meantime though, this DIY scanner may actually be useful for the offices someday in the future.

Why good for offices? Cost-consciousness, of course! While this LEGOs scanner, created by Anders Soberg, may require a longer setup time than one straight out of the box, at least you can tell everyone that your scanner has customizable colors. Find out how you can build your own flatbed scanner, which can scan and saved BMP images in 24-bit true color, 8-bit color, or grayscale, at Anders's Mindstorm Page.

[Via Coolbuzz]

Want to know the ten absolute coolest LEGO gadgets? Check out our roundup on PCMag.com. Oh, and there's the LEGO PC we gave away, too... right here.

Yes, it's possible. Jamie Bernstein at PCMag.com has figured out how to dual boot Linux and Windows XP on your PC. Now it'll be easier for you to decide which operating system to use.

The good news is that you don't need a super-powered machine with massive RAM and hard-drive space to dual-boot Windows XP and Linux. The EeePC--ASUS's popular ultramobile PC (UMPC)--can do the job

According to the article, it's a rather lengthy process that requires some effort. However, it can be done.

Head on over to the article to check out this mission-formerly-not-thought-possible.

This ancient-looking PC case is a page right out of the Predynastic history books. The EgyptianMod case was designed by Chris Kramer over his summer vacation. It is detailed with hieroglyphics and encrusted with jewels. From Kramer's site: "Rather then depicting some static deities just standing or sitting, I ultimately decided on a composite hunt scene for one of the panels and a partial recreation of a Tutankhamen chariot scene for the other. For some "authentic" hieroglyphic text, I selected several translated passages from "The Egyptian Book of the Dead" by E. A. Wallis Budge."

The case is covered in 68 pounds of hand-carved limestone tiles, too, which took Kramer over 200 hours to carve. Inside, the EgyptianMod case includes an AOpen i945GTm-VHL Core Solo/Duo 479 ATX motherboard, a low-power Mobile Intel Core Solo or Core Duo socket 479 CPU, and two 1GB DDR2 SO-DIMM memory modules. Kramer says it runs very cool and quiet.

[via technabob]

Do you have the tendency to be indecisive, fickle-minded, and irresolute? It's hard to face major dilemmas--the prospect of having a choice could be unnerving at times. Nevertheless, I always thought flipping coins or employing the use of magic eight balls would suffice even for the most vacillatory of minds. But everything's high-tech now, right? For the tech-savvy people who can't seem to make their own decisions, there's always this DIY Electronic Decision Maker Kit. Think of it as, errr, high-tech coin-flipping complete with flashing LED lights. When making the machine do life-changing decisions for you, press the switch to activate the lights until only one remains--a green means yes, a red, no. To conserve the energy of its standard 9V battery, it automatically switches off when you're not using it. Made up your mind already? Head on over to its product page--this hobby kit is priced at $6.95.

Our PC Mag Network sister site, ExtremeTech just got a major facelift, one which, as the site's editor, Lloyd Case eagerly points out at PCMag.com, is far more than simple aesthetics. Says Lloyd:

We wanted the changes to be deep and far reaching. We also realized that part of this would come from sharpening our focus. To that end, the new ExtremeTech will offer more DIY (Do It Yourself) stories, tips, how-tos, and reviews--everything you need to help you take control of your tech. With this in mind, let's now take a quick tour of the new ExtremeTech.

There's more intuitive navigation; a new How To section, which features Built-Its, tips, and tricks; and Lab Notes, which offers "quick-and-dirty pieces" of information. And of course that's all just for starters. If you're a regular ExtremeTech reader, we think you'll find the beta site to be a lot cleaner and more intuitive. If you've never checked it out, this is the perfect excuse.

Last month, I reported on the national availability of at-home DNA Paternity tests at Rite Aid pharmacies. Well, looks like the affordable kit has already been changing lives.

Take Suliemon Clemens of Philadelphia, for example. Two weeks ago, Clemens wanted his twins to know that he was their father. He hadn't seen them in 14 years: "I remembered these twins when they were toddlers, and I was amazed at how they had grown up," said Clemens. "I told their mom, I just believe the children need to know the truth." As a result, Clemens marched on in to his local Rite Aid, and the lab results proved with 99.99 percent certainty that he was the biological father. "I have plans for them to meet my wife, mother, father, and my son in New Jersey. Identigene, please do not stop helping people in similar situations who may be able to build bridges within their family."

Does your residence hall room look as pristine as they day you moved in, like the bottom of an ashtray--or is it more like the high-tech end of the Batcave? If it's the latter, we want to see it.

In a future issue of PC Magazine, we'll be rating the most connected college campuses in the United States. We want to also feature the Most Digital Dorm Room we can find. If you've turned your room into the ultimate destination for gaming, computing, and HDTV, with a network that rivals anything found on the rest of the campus, tell us. Spread the word to friends at other schools--we'll see who out-geeks who.

If you're our choice, we'll get back to you before the semester is out, and you have to take down all your equipment and move back home for the summer. If you can clear out the beer cans and any other questionable substance containers before you take pictures, we'd appreciate it.

Send one or two digital photos (at most) in JPG format to eric_griffith@ziffdavis.com. Our pick will be featured in the magazine and at PCMag.com.

Grabbing a factory-built PC off the shelf might be fine for students or home users. But if you're a creative professional or are just serious about creating media content, a retail PC won't cut it. This is because most retail PCs are cluttered with bloatware—unnecessary, often low-quality software occupying valuable hard drive space. These store made computers rarely prebundle the apps you really need for professional content creation, such as video production and digital photography. The solution? Build your own PC from scratch.

There's a big advantage in tailoring a system for your exact needs and, if you're methodical, it's a pretty simple process. Check out our easy-to-follow instructional slideshow that guides you through the process step by step at PCmag.com.

You just had a baby, and now you're dying to know if the man you've been living with for the past year is the father. Or maybe it's your ex's baby... or your ex's brother's baby! Regardless, obtaining a DNA paternity test can take forever. First, you have to see the doctor, then involve a lawyer, and hundreds—if not thousands—of dollars later, you won't get results for weeks or months. So what's a desperate home-wrecking woman to do? Now, she can go to her local Rite Aid.

Identigene, a DNA identification testing servicer, today announced that its $29.99 Identigene DNA Paternity Test Collection Kit is now available for over-the-counter purchase at Rite Aid drug stores in over 30 states throughout the U.S. It was first offered on a trial basis last November in California, Washington, and Oregon. However, demand for the test was so high that Identigene decided to make the test widely available.

I'm not much of a hacker. Okay, so I'm not a hacker at all, but it sure would be nice to possess some techie skills in order to modify, manipulate, or reconfigure a piece of hardware to my satisfaction. Until then, I'm leaving hardware hacks to the seasoned pros, like the ones I recently researched while battling the Flu.

These 10 impressive projects involve hacking items like an Etch A Sketch, Roomba, iPhone, and a Game Boy, and transforming them into killer, if not better, products. Check out 10 Amazing Hardware Hacks on PCMag.com, and leave us some comments if you've ever hacked hardware before (and how it turned out for you).

Rufus Terrill runs bar in downtown called O'Terrills. He's had it with drug dealers, vandals, prostitutes, and the homeless, so naturally he combined his rage with an old meat smoker, added an arsenal of non-deadly weapons, painted the thing black, and christened it the "Bumbot."

The Bumbot sits atop a scooter, features a high-powered spotlight, infrared camera, a loudspeaker, and a powerful water cannon. CNN met up with Terrill and discovered that, for some strange reason, not everyone is keen on the Bumbot's unique brand of mesquite bum-spraying justice. Who knew?

The sheer force of stupid awesomeness behind this hack almost makes me wish that I were I regular Twitter user--almost.

The punnily named group, Botanicalls have created a system involving a Arduino board, a moisture sensor, and a bit of creative coding that will Twitter users when their houseplants are in need of a bit of the old H2O.

Seems like a Rube Goldergian solution for a rather simple task, but incredibly clever, none the less. In the meantime, we should be fine, just so long as our ferns don't take up blogging--or drunken texting.